Chapter 3
That kiss. That crazy, very hot kiss. Thoughts of it had danced in her brain all night long and still remained with Suzanna as she drove to work the next morning.
There was no question that she was intensely physically drawn to Seth, but she certainly hadn’t intended to act on it.
However, when he’d asked her for the kiss, she had wanted it more than she cared to admit to herself.
She’d been helpless to deny him…or to deny herself what she knew instinctively would be pleasurable.
She definitely hadn’t expected it to be so…so absolutely breathtaking. She hadn’t expected it to leave her wanting more. The kiss had been beyond wonderful, but almost equally as wonderful had been his strong arms around her and holding her tight.
She hadn’t realized just how much she had missed being held by sturdy male arms. She also missed whispers in the middle of the night, soft caresses on her skin and watching a sunset with somebody special.
Memories of Davy kept her fulfilled for the most part, but she hadn’t expected to miss a human touch as much as she did.
Still, what was done was done. Last night she and Seth had made a mistake in acting on their physical attraction to each other. As wonderful as it had been, it was a mistake she certainly didn’t intend to repeat.
She pulled into a parking space in the part of the school lot that was dedicated to the teachers.
It was another unusually cold day with thick clouds making it dark and dreary as well.
She pulled her coat more tightly around her, grabbed her notebook that held her lesson plans and then left the car and headed for the school’s entrance.
The Millsville elementary school housed students from kindergarten through the seventh grade.
It was a one-story brick building with large front windows at the entrance.
After the seventh grade the students moved to the high school next door, which looked just about identical to the elementary school.
She walked through the front door of the building. Directly ahead was the glass-enclosed front office. She turned left and headed down the highly polished floor to the first doorway. Her room.
She walked inside and flipped on the overhead lights. She took three steps into the room, and then she saw her. Suzanna’s heart suddenly beat a wild rhythm as abject horror closed up the back of her throat. Her notebook fell to the floor as shock released it from her.
Seated at her desk was a scarecrow…only it wasn’t one a farmer would buy at the local feed or hardware store.
Rather it was a human, a dead human. She was clad in worn, ill-fitting jeans and a red plaid flannel shirt.
A straw hat sat at a cocky angle atop her blond hair.
Her mouth had been stitched closed with thick black thread, and there were gaping black holes where her eyes should have been.
Suzanna remained frozen, trying to make sense of it all. But of course, it didn’t make any sense. A scream rose up into the back of her throat and finally released. Once she started screaming, she couldn’t stop.
Boone, Ray and Arlan all ran to her room. Ray took one look and moved Suzanna back into the hallway. “Call the police,” he yelled to Boone, who had his phone in his hand.
Ray wrapped an arm around Suzanna, who had begun to weep. Despite being moved into the hallway and Ray holding her, the horrible vision of the dead young woman played over and over again in her mind. It had been burned into her brain.
“It’s—it’s so hor-horrific,” she said amid sobs. “Th-that poor wo-woman.”
The hallway began to fill with more of the teachers who had arrived for a normal day of work.
Thank God the students hadn’t come in and found the human scarecrow, Suzanna thought.
That would have truly been terrible. As she finally managed to get control of her tears, her head began to spin with a litany of questions.
Why was the human scarecrow left in her classroom? Had she somehow been targeted? Was the Scarecrow Killer somebody close to her? Somebody who she had somehow made angry? Who…who had put that poor woman in her classroom?
The thoughts were still whirling around in her brain when Chief of Police Dallas Calloway arrived on scene with a dozen of his officers. She shook and shivered with continued horror, and Ray tightened his arm around her.
“Everyone get back to your classrooms,” Dallas commanded. “Suzanna, you stay here with me.” A couple of the officers headed into her classroom.
Ray didn’t move, but rather remained standing next to her with his arm around her shoulder. Everyone else cleared the hallway. Suzanna began to softly weep again. She trembled with all the emotions that filled her as over and over again her brain flashed a vision of the human scarecrow.
The principal of the school, Tinsley Robard, approached her. “Suzanna, are you okay?” Tinsley was an attractive middle-aged woman who had a good relationship with teachers and parents alike. Suzanna nodded and tried desperately to get her wild emotions under control.
“Mrs. Robard, this classroom is a crime scene. As such, it will have to be closed until we gather all the evidence from it,” Dallas said.
“How long do you expect that to take?” Tinsley asked.
Dallas frowned. “At least two days…maybe three.”
Tinsley nodded. “Suzanna, for the next couple of days we’ll move your students into the fourth grade. Boone will be able to handle both classes until they’re finished with your room.”
Suzanna nodded once again. She knew Boone would take good care of her kids for a couple of days.
And she would take a couple of personal days off.
Right now, she was in no condition to even see her students.
Her heightened emotions and uncontrollable tears would only frighten them, and that was the very last thing she wanted.
Time seemed to move excruciatingly slow. Dallas instructed the rest of his officers to check every door in the building. The buses had arrived with the children, and suddenly there was utter chaos in the hallway.
Dallas directed her into the room across the hall; it was a small room used mostly for storage. Ray went in with her, and once inside he grabbed a couple of folding chairs that were leaning against one wall. He unfolded them so they could sit.
“Suzanna, how are you doing?” He took her hand in his and gazed at her with obvious concern.
“I can’t seem to get the vision of her out of my head. Ray, it was so horrid. Who is responsible for these awful killings? Who on earth could do those terrible things to a woman…to anyone?”
Of course, Ray had no answers for her. He only squeezed her hand in obvious support. At that moment the door flew open and Seth walked in. She jumped up out of her chair and ran to his arms.
He held her tight against his broad chest, and she began to cry once again. “Shh, you’re okay. You’re going to be just fine,” he whispered softly in her ear as his hands moved up and down her back in soothing caresses.
“Seth, it was so awful,” she finally managed to say. Slowly her tears halted, but she didn’t move out of his comforting arms. His familiar scent surrounded her, and she found that oddly comforting as well.
Ray cleared his throat and stood. “I’ll just get back to my classroom,” he said a bit tersely.
That finally moved her out of Seth’s arms. “Thank you, Ray. Thank you for being here for me.”
He smiled at her. “Anytime, Suzanna. You know I’m always here for you.” With that, he left the small room.
Seth led Suzanna to the chairs, and they sat down. As Ray had done, Seth took hold of her hands. “How did you know?” she asked him. How on earth was he here when she needed him most?
“I was at the feed store, and somebody came in and said a scarecrow was found in your classroom. I got here as fast as I could,” he replied, his blue eyes filled with tender concern.
“How did you know I was here in the closet?”
“The principal told me you were here,” he said.
“I’m surprised you weren’t stopped at the front door,” she said.
“I came in with a bunch of kids. The principal seemed to be directing things. So, how are you doing right now?” He squeezed her hand, his gaze warm as it lingered on her.
“A little better than I was a few minutes ago,” she admitted, relieved. Her vision misted with a new wave of impending tears. “But I can’t seem to stop crying,” she added.
“That’s understandable. Honey, you’ve had a bad shock,” Seth replied gently.
“I know, but…but I should be…be stronger than this,” she said.
“You’re doing just fine.” He squeezed her trembling hands once again.
At that moment the door to the room opened. Dallas looked at Seth in surprise. “Sir, I don’t believe I know you.” He narrowed his eyes in obvious suspicion.
“He’s okay, Dallas,” Suzanna replied.
Seth stood and held out his hand. “I’m Seth Daniels, a relative newcomer to town and a friend and support to Suzanna.”
The two men shook hands, and then Dallas looked at her. “Suzanna, I need to do an official interview with you. Mrs. Robard has made her office available to us.”
Suzanna stood and grabbed hold of Seth’s arm. “Can he come with me?” His mere presence calmed her a bit, and she was still shaken up enough that she felt as if she needed his support.
“Okay, that would be fine,” Dallas said after a moment of hesitation. Together the three of them left the supply room. The halls were now empty except for a few officers who manned the front door. The sounds of students and teachers drifted out from the classrooms.
It sounded like an ordinary day, but it was anything but ordinary. Within minutes, Suzanna, Seth and Dallas were seated in Tinsley’s private office, and Dallas began to ask her questions.
“Did you see anyone unusual hanging around when you entered the school building this morning?” he asked.